


Raggedy Ann

by fallenangel218



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Disturbing Themes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-27
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-17 05:31:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1375654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenangel218/pseuds/fallenangel218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gibbs is obsessed with a terrifying recurring nightmare, and his team quickly begins to question his sanity. Is he losing his mind, or is there another force behind his nightmares?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: There will be disturbing imagery present in this story. The dream Gibbs has is based off a dream I had the other night (I guess my subconscious is quite twisted). The image in the dream scared the hell out of me, and it wouldn't leave me alone all day the next day, so I had to get the idea out there.

_"NCIS!"_

_Gibbs burst through the front door of the old house, gun out in front of him. There was a layer of dust on everything, that indicated that the home had been abandoned some years ago._

_He made his way slowly through the living room, stepping around old boxes and broken objects. He entered the kitchen next. No one was there. That was when he saw the basement door. It was open a crack, and light spilled out into the darkened kitchen. Curious, Gibbs pushed the door open with the toe of his boot, and started to make his way downstairs, gun at the ready. At the bottom, he turned right, following the source of the light, and walked through the doorway._

_In the middle of the room, hanging from the rafters, was a woman, almost the size of a child. She'd clearly hung herself, Gibbs thought to himself as he inched closer. Suddenly, the woman's head snapped up, eyes open, and looked straight at him. Her face was sewn on, like a Raggedy-Ann doll._

_"Leroy," she pleaded softly "help me…"_

 

Gibbs shot up in bed, sweating profusely. His heart was beating out of his chest, and he was struggling to control his breathing. He threw the covers off him and quickly made his way across the hall to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face, and willed the disturbing image to leave his mind. He lifted his head to look in the mirror, and nearly jumped out of his skin. The girl was right behind him. 

He whirled around to face the phantom image, and found nothing in the room with him. 

Convinced there was an intruder in the house, Gibbs raced to his bedroom and grabbed his gun from under his pillow. He went from room to room, until he'd checked the entire house. He ended his search in the kitchen. He headed for the basement door, and stopped short. The dream flooded his mind again as he stared at the closed basement door. 

Shaking, Gibbs backed away from his basement door, until he bumped into the kitchen table. He fell into a chair, dropping his gun on the table next to him. What the hell was happening to him? Was any of this real? 

_I can't be in this house. I have to get out of here._

He picked up his gun, grabbed his keys from the hook by the phone, and left his house. 

**~*~*~*~*~**

NCIS was deserted when Gibbs arrived. It was to be expected at three in the morning. The night guard was surprised to see him, but let him through, and Gibbs got into the elevator to head up to the squad room. 

_"Leroy!"_

Gibbs reached over and stopped the elevator. 

"Who's there? Who are you?" Gibbs asked the phantom voice. 

_"Help me, Leroy!"_

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, jamming his hand into the emergency button. The elevator lurched to life, and seconds later opened at the squad room. He bolted out and made for his desk. Quickly he pulled up his music player and clicked on one of the songs McGee put on there for him. An old country song started to play, and Gibbs sank tiredly into his desk chair. 

_Why is this happening to me?_

The music played softly for a while, and eventually lulled him to sleep. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

_The girl stared into his eyes, mesmerizing him._

_"Leroy! Help me!" she pleaded. "Help me!"_

_"Who are you?" Gibbs asked._

_"Leroy!"_

 

"Boss!" 

Gibbs jolted awake, pointing his gun straight ahead. 

Tony was standing over his chair, looking concerned. 

"Jesus, DiNozzo, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" 

"Are you all right, Boss?" 

"I'm fine," he said, opening his desk drawer and dropping his gun into it. 

"You looked like you were having a nightmare," Tony said. 

"I'm fine, DiNozzo. Get back to work." 

"Boss, it's 5:30 in the morning." 

Gibbs looked at his watch. So it was. 

"Why are you here so early, DiNozzo?" 

"I got a call from the night guard. Apparently you ran into the building like a bat out of hell at three in the morning. Is everything all right?" 

"I'm fine, Tony." 

"You're lying to me, Gibbs." 

"Just leave me alone!" Gibbs suddenly shouted, and flew out of his chair. 

"Where are you going?" Tony asked as Gibbs headed for the elevator. 

"Going to get coffee. Get your ass to work on those cold cases, DiNozzo!" 

Tony watched Gibbs as he stepped into the elevator. If Gibbs thought Tony was going to let this go, he obviously didn't know his SFA very well. Tony sat down at his desk and started writing down things to check. He wouldn't rest until he found out what was going on. 

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tony sat down at his desk and dialed the extension for the security guard station downstairs. 

_"Security, this is Hawkins."_

"Dan, it's Tony DiNozzo. I need to ask you a few questions about what you saw when Agent Gibbs got in this morning." 

_"He wasn't acting like himself at all, Tony. He ran past me without showing his ID. He looked scared out of his mind. I checked to see if anyone was coming behind him, but there was no one there."_

"Did he say anything?" 

_"No. He just ran past and got onto the elevator before the doors opened all the way."_

"Is there a camera in the elevator, Dan?" 

_"Yeah. The main elevator is the only one with a camera running 24/7."_

"I'll be right down." 

Tony hung up and went straight for the elevator. He had to see what happened to Gibbs in the elevator. 

\----- 

Dan had the feed queued up when Tony arrived. 

"Here's the feed from the elevator. It starts the minute he stepped on." 

He hit play, and Tony leaned in to watch. They observed Gibbs as he practically tumbled into the elevator. He started jamming the button, wanting the doors to close faster. Tony mentally noted that Gibbs looked scared out of his mind, as Dan had reported. 

_"Who are you!"_ they suddenly heard Gibbs shout. _"Leave me alone!"_

"What in the hell?" Tony said as he watched his Boss shouting at no one, and darting every which way in the elevator, looking for someone. The elevator opened, and Gibbs ran off. 

"I took the liberty of pulling up the feed from the squad room, too," Dan said, clicking his other link. They watched as Gibbs bolted for his desk and pulled something up on his computer, before falling into his chair. 

"Can you e-mail me that feed? I want to see the two hours he was alone, before I got here." 

"Absolutely. I'll do it right now." 

"Thanks, Dan. I owe you lunch," he said, shaking the guard's hand. 

"I'll hold you to that, DiNozzo," Dan said with a smile. 

\----- 

When Tony got back upstairs, Ellie was at her desk. 

"Morning, Tony," she said cheerily. Tony waved at her as he walked by, and sat down at his desk. Ellie got up and went over. "Is something wrong?" 

"I'm not sure," Tony replied, eyes on his e-mail. He looked up briefly, and noticed that Gibbs had not returned yet. "Have you seen Gibbs?" 

"No. Why? Is something wrong with Gibbs?" 

"I got a call in the middle of the night from the night guard. Gibbs came into NCIS at three in the morning, scared out of his mind." 

"He doesn't usually get scared, does he?" 

Tony shook his head as Ellie leaned in to watch the camera footage with him. They watched Gibbs practically bum rush his desk, and look around cautiously before he fell asleep in his chair. 

"Is he drunk?" Ellie wondered aloud. 

"I've never seen alcohol do that," Tony replied, staring at his computer screen. They watched for a bit as Gibbs slept without incident. A few minutes into the video, Gibbs stirred in his sleep, and started mumbling. Seconds later, he screamed like Tony had never heard him scream before. 

_"Who are you! What do you want from me! Leave me alone!"_

"Is he having a nightmare?" Ellie asked. 

"It looks like it," Tony said, watching the video with intrigue. "It's a pretty violent nightmare." He stopped the video and clicked 'forward.' "I'm sending this to Ducky. I think he needs to see it." 

"See what, DiNozzo?" 

Tony sent the e-mail and lowered his inbox. 

"Nothing." 

"Right. Grab your gear… we have a body. McGee is getting the car." 

Tony and Ellie grabbed their packs and followed Gibbs into the elevator without a word. 

\------ 

Gibbs was silent the entire ride to the crime scene. They arrived to Rock Creek Park, and started processing the scene - the body of a female Marine. Gibbs rattled off orders and left them while he spoke to the local LEOs. 

"NCIS," he said, holding up his badge for the Officer. "What can you tell me about the crime scene?" 

The officer started to explain how he'd found the crime scene upon arrival, but Gibbs was only half listening. His eyes sporadically darted toward the body. 

"Agent Gibbs? Did you hear me?" 

Gibbs brought his attention back to the Officer. 

"What?" 

"I said we didn't move the body when we got here. Are you all right?" The officer asked with concern. 

"I'm fine. Thank you, Officer." Gibbs hurriedly turned and walked away as Ducky arrived. 

"What do you see, Duck?" Gibbs asked as Ducky examined the dead marine. 

"From the ligature mark on her neck, she seems to have been strangled. I'll know more when I get her home." 

When he didn't get a response from Gibbs, Ducky looked up to find him staring at the body, a strange look on his face. 

"Jethro, are you all right?" 

Gibbs didn't respond. In fact, he didn't even move. Ducky pushed himself to his feet. 

"Jethro," he said, gently shaking his friend's shoulder. Gibbs came out of his trance, and looked around, as if he'd just arrived. 

"Where am I?" 

"You don't remember where you are?" 

Gibbs stood there for a second, taking in his surroundings. 

"Rock Creek Park. Crime scene." 

"That's right," Ducky said gently. "Are you feeling all right, Jethro? Maybe you should go and sit in the car for a few moments." 

"I'm fine, Ducky," Gibbs replied in his usual voice. "Let's just get this thing processed." 

Ducky turned his attention back to the body, but his thoughts were on his friend. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

No one talked on the ride back to NCIS. As soon as Tim parked the car, Gibbs got out and took off ahead of them toward the building. Tim gave Tony a look as they watched Gibbs scurry away. 

"What's wrong with Gibbs?" 

"That's what I'm trying to figure out, Probie," Tony said, opening the back doors of the truck. He reached in for an evidence bin, but Tim caught him by the arm. 

"I know you want to go after him, so just go. I'll take this stuff to Abby." 

"You sure, Probie? There's a ton of stuff here." 

"I can handle it. I'd rather you find Gibbs before he has a nervous breakdown or something." 

"Thanks, Probie." 

"Anytime." 

Tony left him and took off in the direction Gibbs had gone. He ran up the stairs to the squad room. Ellie was the only one in the bullpen. 

"Did Gibbs come up here?" Tony asked her. 

"No, I haven't seen him since you guys left for the crime scene," she said. "Is he all right?" 

"He took off when we got back from the crime scene, and I don't know where he went." 

Ellie thought for a second. 

"Doesn't he like to stop the elevator?" 

"Call Abby. Tell her to expect a feed for the elevator security camera in her lab." 

Tony picked up his desk phone and called down to the security desk. 

"This is Agent DiNozzo. I need someone to patch the camera feed for the main elevator down to Abby's lab, right now." 

_"Why--"_

"Don’t ask me any questions! Do it!" 

Tony hung up and beckoned Ellie with him as they went to the back elevator to get down to Abby's lab. 

When they got to the lab, Abby launched herself into Tony's arms. Tim was standing behind her, obviously unsuccessful at keeping her calm. 

"What's happening to him?" she said through tears. 

Tony turned to the plasma screen Abby had up with the elevator security feed. Gibbs was sitting in the corner of the elevator, knees up to his chest, rocking back and forth. 

"Call Ducky," he said to Ellie. He called the security desk again. "Ed, keep this feed running, and turn on the audio. Agent Gibbs is in there with the emergency stop on, and he isn't well." 

_"Should I call an ambulance?"_

"No. Let me handle it." 

_"Good luck, DiNozzo."_

Tony hung up the phone as Ducky came into the lab. Ducky took one look at the plasma, and turned to Tony. 

"We need to get him out of there. He's having a breakdown." 

"He's got a loaded weapon in there. If we try to go in there and get him, he could freak out and shoot someone." 

Ducky observed the screen for a moment. Gibbs was rocking back and forth, with a terrified look on his face. But what was terrifying his friend this badly? 

Gibbs' incoherent mumbling finally started making sense, and Ducky caught a name. 

"Viv? Does anyone know a Viv? Or a Vivian?" he asked. 

Everyone shook their heads. 

"He's saying something else," Ellie said quietly. They all gathered around the plasma and listened. 

"I'm sorry Viv… I couldn't find - I tried - please, Viv, leave me alone - I'm sorry…" 

Ducky turned to Tim. 

"Tim, do you still have Jackson Gibbs' phone number?" 

"Yeah." 

"Call him and find out if Jethro knew a girl named Vivian. I think we're dealing with a very painful repressed memory." 

Tim stepped aside to call Jackson. 

_"Hello?"_

"Mr. Gibbs… it's Tim McGee. I work with your son, at NCIS." 

_"Tim! It's nice to hear from you. What can I do for you?"_

"It's your son… he's having a breakdown, Mr. Gibbs. He's locked himself in the elevator, and he's mumbling the name Vivian. Did he know someone with that name?" 

There was silence on the line. For a moment, Tim thought the call had dropped. 

"Mr. Gibbs?" 

_"Vivian--Vivian was Leroy's sister."_

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

"Jackson, I'm going to put you on speaker phone, so Dr. Mallard can hear you." 

_"All right."_

Tim put his iPhone on speaker and set it on the lab table. They all gathered around it. 

"Okay Jackson, you're on speaker." 

_"Leroy had an older sister, Vivian. She was a year older than him, and they were inseparable. He was fiercely protective of her. One day, when Leroy was about nine years old, I saw them to the bus stop at the end of our street, and drove up to the store. About an hour after I got there--"_

Jackson paused for a moment, clearly upset by the memory. 

"Are you all right, Jackson?" Tim asked gently. 

_"Yeah, I'm all right. I haven't had to remember this in over 50 years. It's something I've left behind."_

"It's all right," Ducky said reassuringly. 

_"About an hour after I opened the store, I got a call from the police. They--they'd found Leroy on the side of the road, about two miles from the bus stop. He was beat up, and terrified. I got down there as fast as I could. He was in the Sheriff's office, wrapped in a blanket. When he saw me, he jumped up and clung to my leg, crying hysterically."_

Tim and Tony exchanged glances. They knew what Jackson was about to say next. 

_"It took twenty minutes to calm Leroy down. When I asked him why he didn't get on the school bus with Viv, he went ballistic again. He screamed at the top of his lungs. He said he had to help her… that she was hurt."_

"Mr. Gibbs," Ducky said, when Jackson paused to catch his breath. "What happened to your daughter?" 

_"The Sheriff put a search party out on Vivian. They searched the entire area for two weeks. She was just--gone."_

"She was never found?" Ducky asked gently. 

_"No. I like to think she's out there somewhere, with kids and grandkids of her own, but I'm just a foolish old man, Dr. Mallard. My daughter died 55 years ago."_

"What happened to Jethro, after the search was called off?" 

_"He went off the rails. He wouldn't go to school, barely ate, and had nightmares almost every night. I could hear him screaming for his sister. He never did tell me what happened to him that day. Whatever did happen, it scarred him, bad."_

"Whatever did happen is still affecting him, after all these years," Ducky said. "Holding in a memory like this one for so long has finally taken its toll on him." 

_"I'm coming down there. If he's as bad as I think he is, he's going to need me there."_

"Why don't I send Timothy to pick you up, Mr. Gibbs," Ducky offered. 

_"Y-yeah. That would be better. I'm not very good behind the wheel these days."_

"All right, he'll be leaving straight away for Stillwater." 

_"Thank you for helping my son, Dr. Mallard."_

"You are most welcome. We will see you soon." 

Tim disconnected the call. 

"I'll be back soon. Keep me updated." 

"No worries, Probie." 

Tim left, and Tony turned to Ducky. 

"We have to get him out of the elevator, Ducky." 

"Can security unlock the elevator when someone has it stopped?" 

"It takes a lot, but yes, I think so." 

"Let's get down to the lobby. If we can get it down there, I can attempt to coax him out." 

"I'm coming with you. If he pulls out that gun, I want to be there." 

"Well come on then" Ducky said, leaving the lab. Tony scurried out behind him as he got out his phone to call Security. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Security was ready and waiting when Ducky and Tony arrived. 

"I’m ready when you are, Agent DiNozzo," said the security guard, waiting with his hand on the switch. 

"Unlock it. As soon as it opens, lock the doors so they don't close." 

The guard nodded, and hit the override for the emergency switch. 

Ducky stood in front of the elevator as the numbers started to descend. Tony stood by his side. Everyone held their breath as the elevator dinged, and the door slid open. 

Gibbs was curled up in the corner, knees up to his chest. He was shaking like a leaf. Ducky signaled for Tony not to move, and took a couple of steps toward the elevator. 

"Jethro? Do you remember me?" he asked gently. 

Gibbs shook his head furiously. 

"Don’t come in." 

"I'll stand right here, at the doorway," Ducky said, stopping at the entrance. "I'm Ducky. Dr. Mallard. You are at NCIS, in the elevator." 

"NCIS?" 

"You are a federal officer, Jethro. You have solved many crimes, and helped a lot of people." 

"Viv… need to find her… she needs me." 

"We can go and look for her. You have to come out of the elevator, though." 

"Don't wanna." 

"You must come out. You can't stay in there forever. People need to use the elevator, to get upstairs." 

Gibbs shook his head as he buried his face into his knees. 

"Why do you want to stay in there?" Ducky asked him. 

He raised his head to look at Ducky, fear still evident in his eyes. 

"I can hear her, Ducky," he said, in a small voice that sounded nothing like the Gibbs they knew. "She's calling me, but I can't see her." 

"If you come out, I will help you find her." 

"Is that a promise?" 

"Yes, Jethro. It's a promise. We will find Viv. Now, will you please come out of the elevator?" 

Gibbs nodded slowly, and pushed himself to his feet. He made his way toward Ducky's outstretched hand, and after a few awkward moments, put his hand into Ducky's and stepped out of the elevator. 

Ducky turned to Tony, mouthing 'find Vivian' as Gibbs wrapped his arms around his friend in a hug. Tony nodded and boarded the empty elevator to go back to Abby's lab. 

"Are you hungry?" Ducky asked his friend when Gibbs finally let him go. Gibbs nodded. "Why don’t we go and get something for breakfast?" 

"We have to find Viv!" he said stubbornly. "You told me you'd find her!" 

"We will, Jethro. Tony has gone to start the investigation. We can go and get a bite, and then we'll go check on Tony. How does that sound?" 

"All right." 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ducky took Gibbs to the diner he knew his friend to frequent every morning. They were greeted by a plump waitress, who beamed upon seeing Gibbs. 

"In for your morning coffee, Gibbs?" she asked with a smile. 

"Gonna get some breakfast today, Emma." he replied. 

"Have a seat! I'll bring ya'll some menus." 

They found a booth and got comfortable, and Emma brought them each a hot cup of coffee. They ordered breakfast, and the waitress smiled at Gibbs as she took the menus and walked off. 

"Would you like to talk about Vivian?" Ducky asked gently. "I would love to know more about her." 

Gibbs took a big sip of his coffee, and shook his head. 

"I can't. I'm sorry. I just can't." 

"All right. We don't have to talk about her." 

Gibbs had calmed considerably, and sounded more like his old self again, but he was still very fragile. The intensity in which the memory was re-surfacing was causing enough emotional turmoil to nearly drive him to the brink of insanity. Ducky wanted to know more about Vivian, but he would wait until Gibbs was ready to talk. 

Breakfast arrived, and they ate in companionable silence. When they finished, Emma brought Gibbs a coffee to go. 

"On the house, Sugar," she said with a wink. He smiled at her, his cheeks turning a slight pink. Ducky smirked at him as he handed over his credit card, and the bill, to Emma. She took it and returned quickly. 

"Ya'll are all set. See you tomorrow morning, Jethro," she said with a grin. He smiled back and got up to leave with Ducky, who was grinning widely at the exchange. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

Gibbs was antsy on the ride back to NCIS. Ducky knew he was anxious to find out how Tony's investigation was going. As soon as they arrived, he jumped out of the car. Ducky killed the engine and got out after him. 

"Jethro, slow down!" he shouted. "I can't move as fast as you!" 

Gibbs slowed to a stop and waited for Ducky to catch up. 

"Sorry, Duck. I got a little excited." 

"Understandable. Let's go down to Abby's lab, shall we?" 

They took the elevator down to Lab level, and entered the Lab together. Abby rushed over to hug him, but Ducky stopped her. 

"Go easy on him, Abigail." 

Abby gently hugged Gibbs. 

"I'm glad you're safe." 

Suddenly, Gibbs was thrown backward into another memory. 

\------- 

_Leroy and Vivian ran through the woods, as fast as they were able. Leroy had his hand clasped in hers, and had no intention of letting her go. The men weren't far behind. Suddenly, Vivian jolted to a stop, and Leroy nearly ran into her._

_"Why'd you stop!" he said nervously._

_"We're trapped," she said with a quiver in her voice. There was a large tree lying on its side over the path. "We'll never get over this tree. It's too big!"_

_"We can go around it," Leroy said, pulling his sister toward the tree's root system._

_"Stop, Lee! I'm never going to fit through those roots!"_

_"You have to! You can't let them get us!" Leroy cried, close to tears. Vivian grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him to the edge of the tangle of roots._

_"Climb through, and run as fast as you can. I'll get around somehow, and come find you, okay?"_

_"But Viv--I don't wanna leave you!"_

_"Just go, Lee! Please! Then I know you'll be safe. Please! Do it for me! Climb through and run back home, get Daddy, go to the Sheriff. I"ll be right behind you. I promise."_

_They heard the crack of twigs, which meant the men were getting closer._

_"Go! Hurry!" She pushed him forward. Leroy climbed through the mess of roots, and after a lot of struggling, popped out on the other side. As he brushed himself off, he heard his sister scream._

_"Vivian!"_

\---------- 

"Vivian!" Gibbs screamed as Tony and Ducky attempted to subdue him. He was on his knees, arms flailing, as it he were trying to get to something. "Vivian! No!" Abby scrambled backward, and latched onto Ellie, who was just as scared as she was. 

"Jethro! Come back to us! It's all right!" Ducky shouted as Tony tried to subdue Gibbs. Gibbs whipped his arm backward and hit Tony square in the face. Tony stumbled backward, holding his bloody nose. 

"Eleanor, in my medical kit there's a syringe with a sedative in it. Bring it here." 

Ellie nodded and opened up the kit. She found the syringe and gave it to Ducky. Tony managed to pull Gibbs' arms behind his back, to keep him from hitting anyone else. Ducky injected the syringe into Gibbs' arm. Abby ran over with her futon and laid it out as Gibbs gradually faded into sleep. Tony and Ducky laid him on the futon, and Abby supplied a pillow and blanket. 

"Ducky, what happened?" Abby asked nervously when they finally got Gibbs situated. 

"When you told him you were glad he was safe, it seemed to have sparked another memory related to his sister." 

"I wonder what terrible thing happened to her," Abby said softly, looking down at her sleeping Boss. 

"He isn't ready to tell his story. When the time is right, we'll know." 

Abby nodded and she and Ellie resumed the investigation into the disappearance of Vivian Gibbs. Ducky pulled up a stool to start his vigil as Gibbs slept. They still had a long way to go, to find out what happened to Gibbs and his Sister. 

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

It was nearly noon when Tim arrived in Stillwater. The only place he knew how to get to was the Store, so he drove through the village, and parked in front of it. He killed the engine and got out of the sedan. Jackson hadn't come out yet. Tim went into the store. Jackson was behind the counter, closing out his drawer for the day. He didn't acknowledge Tim until he was finished counting. 

"Thanks for coming, Tim." 

"Of course, Jackson. Are you ready to go?" 

"Are you hungry?" Jackson asked as he tucked his till envelope into the bottom of the drawer. 

"We should get back on the road--" 

"You've been driving for four hours. You need to eat. " 

Jackson glared at him, and Tim finally saw where Gibbs got his glare from. Tim nodded. 

"I could eat." 

"I thought so. Come on, I'll make you something back at the house." 

**~*~*~*~*~**

Jackson made sandwiches, and they ate a quick lunch. 

"How is Leroy?" 

"I've never seen him like this," Tim admitted as he collected the paper plates from lunch and threw them away. "He's always so…" 

"Stoic." 

"Yeah." 

"He put up a wall after his mother died," Jackson said as his eyes drifted toward the window. "I never could get through it. I still can't." 

Tim's phone rang at that moment. 

"McGee." 

_"Did you make it to Stillwater?"_

"Yeah, Tony. How's Gibbs?" 

_"Ducky had to sedate him. We moved him into Abby's office, on her futon. Ducky is in there with him, waiting until he wakes up."_

"What happened?" 

_"It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it when you get back. Before you do, I need a favor. Ellie and I are looking into Vivian's disappearance. Can you poke around Stillwater, see what you can find?"_

"I'll try, but that was over 50 years ago. Any physical evidence would be long gone. " 

_"Get what you can and get back here as soon as you can."_

"Will do." 

Tim hung up the phone and turned to Jackson. 

"Tony is looking into your daughter's disappearance. He thinks it might bring Gi--Jethro closure if we could find out what happened." 

Jackson nodded his approval. 

"Can you tell me anything else about that day?" 

"Not much. I remember a couple of words that Leroy said while he was screaming. Something about a big tree, and Vivian losing her doll." 

"A doll?" 

"She had a Raggedy-Ann doll that her mother and I gave her for Christmas. She took it everywhere with her." 

"Jackson, this may be a long shot, but do you think that doll might still be somewhere in those woods?" 

"That was over 50 years ago, Tim. I doubt you'll find it." 

"It's worth checking out. Where was the bus stop that your kids used to get the bus?" 

"Let's see… these days it would be the corner of Smith street and Mill road. Back then it was farmland and a dirt road." 

"Do you think the sheriff's office would still have records from back then?" 

"Ed Waite never threw anything away." 

Tim scribbled some notes in his pocket notebook. 

"Would you mind if I looked around a bit before we head back to DC?" 

"Be my guest. I'm going to take a nap. You can borrow my truck, but if you scratch it, I'll have you working off the expense in my store, and not behind the register. Understand?" 

Tim nodded. 

Jackson got up and shoved off into the living room. Tim thought of following him to apologize for throwing so many questions at him, but decided against it. He turned and headed out of the house. He had a lot of ground to cover. 

**~*~*~*~*~**

Tim's first stop was the intersection where the bus stop used to be. There was a factory where he presumed the farmland used to be. It looked abandoned. There were woods across the field, beyond the factory. Tim pushed the rusted gate open and entered the factory grounds. He walked around outside until he found a door. He nonchalantly pushed it, and it opened easily. He quietly slipped inside and shut it behind him. 

The factory was eerily quiet. Tim used the flashlight on his phone to look around. He found an office not far from where he'd come in, and went inside. There was a desk and a file cabinet, and nothing else. He looked through the paperwork strewn on the desk, hoping to find some clue as to what this place had been. Among old shreds of shipping manifests, he found a file folder, with a name on it. He took out his phone and called Tony. 

"Tony, research a company called _Orson Farm Supply Company._ There's a factory in Stillwater that was built in the spot where Gibbs and his sister used to catch the school bus." 

_"You think it could be something, Probie?"_

"I don’t know, maybe. Just look it up and call me back." As Tim hung up he heard the click of a rifle. He looked up to find a Sheriff's Deputy pointing a rifle at him. 

"Don't move." 

Tim put up his hands. 

"You're trespassing on private property, kid. That's a night in jail." 

"I can explain this, if you just let me reach into my pocket." 

"Not gonna happen. Move around the desk. You're under arrest." 

"Listen--" 

"I said shut your mouth!" 

Tim shut up and came around the desk, hands in the air. The Deputy practically shoved him against the side of the desk and handcuffed him. As he pulled Tim away from the desk, his coat moved, and his Sig came into view. 

"I can explain that--" 

"Explain it to the Sheriff," said the Deputy, confiscating the weapon. "Let's go." he yanked Tim along with him out of the office. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

The police station in Stillwater was very small. The Deputy put Tim in a tiny holding cell and left him there. He hadn't bothered to check Tim's pockets. Grinning, he pulled out his phone and started to dial Jackson's number. The clang of the cell door startled him, and he pocketed his phone. He looked up to see a middle aged man with a Burt Reynolds moustache standing with the door open. 

"Come with me, son." 

Tim got up and followed the officer. They went down the hall and into an office. One look at the nameplate told Tim he was in the presence of the Sheriff, John Waite. 

"You want to tell me what you were doing in that factory?" Waite asked, crossing his arms. Tim reached into his pocket and produced his credentials. 

"NCIS, Special Agent Timothy McGee. I'm investigating a cold case." 

"Why didn't you show the Deputy your creds when he arrested you?" The Sheriff asked as he took Tim's Sig out of a desk drawer, and handed it back to him. 

"He didn't give me a chance." Tim took his gun and sheathed it. "I'm in town to investigate a cold case." 

"What kind of cold case would you find in Stillwater?" 

"My team and I are looking into the disappearance of Vivian Gibbs." 

The Sheriff remained silent. 

"Sheriff?" 

"Sit down, son. We have a lot to talk about." 

**TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

"Damn!" Tony shouted in frustration as he slammed the phone down. "This company is invisible! No one in the state of Pennsylvania seems to know who Orson Farm Supply Company is." 

"I found them on the Better Business Bureau's website, but there isn't much about them," Ellie said. "They opened in 1959, and got shut down in 1962. The BBB has over 200 complaints from farmers across three states for faulty farm equipment." 

"That sounds pretty hinky. I'll pass that on to McGee. Good work, Ellie," Tony said with a smile. 

"Thanks!" 

Tony dialed McGee's number in a flash. 

_"McGee."_

"Ellie found some interesting info on your Farm Supply Company. They opened in 1959 and shut down three years later. There were hundreds of complaints filed to the BBB for faulty equipment." 

_"I know."_

"What? If you just made us do all that work for nothing..."

 _"John Orsen broke ground on that factory two weeks after Vivian disappeared."_

"That's too much of a coincidence. There's got to be a connection." Tony didn't get a reponse. "Probie? You still there?" 

_"I just had a long talk with the Sheriff. He knew Gibbs when they were kids. Jackson used to butt heads with the Sheriff back then over the rights to the land that factory was built on."_

"So you're thinking Vivian's disappearance was to get Jackson to back off?" 

_"More or less. I'm going to poke around here a bit longer before we head back to DC. How's Gibbs?"_

"Sleeping in Abby's office. Ducky is with him." 

_"The sooner Jackson gets there, the better, then."_

"Do what you can down there, and get on the road, Probie. And take care of yourself." 

_"I will, thanks Tony. See you guys soon."_

Tony hung up quickly. 

"Research a guy named John Orsen," he said to Ellie. "He was the CEO of that company. McGee says Gibbs' father was against the building of that factory." 

Ellie gasped. 

"You don't think--" 

"I'm not sure. Let's track him down and find out." 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

Tim returned to Jackson's house around three that afternoon. He quietly went through the kitchen door, and set the key to Jackson's truck on the counter. 

"Welcome back." 

Tim whirled around and found Jackson sitting at the kitchen table. 

"Jackson--" 

"You've been gone for almost three hours." 

"I-- are you ready to head back to DC?" 

Jackson remained silent for a moment, then stood and picked up his duffel bag. 

"I'm ready. Let's go." 

Tim nodded and led the way to the sedan. They climbed in, and were on their way. 

\------ 

The drive was silent for the first hour. Tim was tempted to turn on the radio, but decided against it. Jackson broke the silence as Tim got onto the highway to head toward DC. 

"I know you got arrested, Tim." 

Tim didn't say anything for a moment. 

"How'd you know?" Jackson glared at him. "Right. Small town." 

"I know you're trying to help, Tim, but don't get yourself in trouble." 

"It's all right, Jackson. Sheriff Waite understood. I actually got some good background information for your daughter's case." 

Jackson silently turned his head and stared out the window. 

"The Sheriff told me everything, you know," Tim said gently. "I know you were opposed to that factory being built." 

"John Waite doesn't know anything about what his Daddy and I fought about--" Jackson started. He stopped himself quickly, and continued to look out the window at the passing landscape. 

Tim knew he wasn't going to get anything out of Jackson, so he decided to let it go. He switched the radio on and continued on toward DC. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Abby's lab was uncharacteristically quiet. While Abby worked in the outer lab, Ducky was shut up in her office with Gibbs, who was still asleep on the futon. The sedative Ducky had given him that morning was only supposed to last for about an hour, but Gibbs was still out like a light well into the afternoon. 

Ducky busied himself with reports he'd been meaning to catch up on, as he kept his silent vigil over Gibbs. As he finished the sixth report, Gibbs began to stir. 

"Where am I?" Gibbs said groggily as he sat up. 

Ducky turned the office chair to face him. 

"You're in Abby's office, Jethro. How are you feeling?" 

"Like I got punched in the face." 

"As well you should - I had to give you a sedative to calm you down. You nearly broke Tony's nose this morning." 

"Shit. Is he all right?" 

"He will be fine. You, on the other hand, are in no state to be at work. I'm taking you home." 

"I need to be here, Ducky!" Gibbs shot to his feet. "I need to help Vivian!" 

"You can't help her if you're pumped full of sedatives, Jethro. You can let me take you home, or I can put in a report to the Director that deems you unfit for duty." 

"You wouldn't--" 

Ducky glared at him. 

"Try me." 

Gibbs stared him down for a moment, before realizing that even he couldn't defeat Ducky's glare. 

"Ok, fine, I'll go home, but I'm not happy about it." 

"Come on, Jethro." 

Ducky led his friend out of the lab and into the elevator. 

\------ 

It was near six in the evening when Ducky pulled into Gibbs' driveway. Gibbs had delayed going home as long as he could by rifling through his desk at NCIS, pretending he'd lost his glasses. Ducky was onto him quicker than he expected, and forced him away from the squad room. 

Gibbs got out of the car, and followed Ducky into the house. Ducky pointed to the couch, and Gibbs sat while his friend disappeared into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a cup of coffee. He handed it to Gibbs, and sat down next to him on the couch. 

"Tell me about your sister. I'm sure she was a lovely girl." 

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee. 

"She was beautiful, Ducky. I remember - she had red hair that went down to her hips. My mother would always braid it. She had a different hair ribbon for it every day." 

Gibbs closed his eyes, as if conjuring an image in his mind. 

"She always wore dresses. She loved yellow and green. The day--" Gibbs stopped, and shakily set down his coffee cup on the table in front of him. "She was wearing her favorite yellow dress that day. I remember my mother telling her she looked like a ray of sunshine when she came downstairs with it on." 

Ducky noticed a few tears slip down his friend's cheek. He put a comforting hand on Gibbs' shoulder. 

"You don't have to go on if you don't want to. I understand this is very painful." 

Gibbs suddenly looked at Ducky with a flash of anger. 

"You'll never understand what I'm going though." He shook Ducky's hand from his shoulder and got up. 

"Where are you going?" 

Gibbs didn't answer him. He simply disappeared into the kitchen, and Ducky heard the basement door slam moments later. 

\----- 

Gibbs went to the trunk he kept in the corner, and threw open the lid. He rifled through it until he found a small, faded wooden box, near the bottom. He took off the lid and took a picture from it. He dropped the box back into his trunk and slammed the lid closed. He looked down at the picture in his shaking hand. His sister was staring back at him in her favorite yellow dress, blue eyes sparkling with the happiness of childhood innocence. In a few moments, he found himself on the floor, back to his trunk, tears streaming down his face. He clasped the old photograph in his hand. 

"I'm so sorry... I tried to go back, but you were gone... please, Viv... I'm so fucking sorry..." 

Gibbs broke down and cried until his body gave in, and he sank to the ground and fell asleep. 

**TBC...**


	6. Chapter 6

Gibbs woke up with a stiff neck. He slowly sat up, and froze when he noticed he was not alone. Jackson was sitting in an old wooden chair next to the workbench.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Gibbs asked, staring blankly at his father as he stiffly got to his feet.

"You know exactly why I'm here, Leroy." 

"They're just dreams, Dad... I'm fine." Gibbs started toward the stairs.  

"They're not just dreams, are they?" 

He stopped before he reached the stairs, but did not turn to face his father. 

"I don't want to talk about it." 

"Not talking about it is how you got into this situation." 

There was silence for what seemed like an eternity. 

"I'm going to bed," Gibbs finally said, and started up the stairs. 

"You have to tell me sooner or later, son. It's been 55 years." 

The statement stopped Gibbs in his tracks, and brought him back down a few steps. He glared at his father.

"It took years to forget about what happened that day. I don’t want to relive it." 

Jackson got up and moved toward the stairs. 

"Don't you see what you're doing to yourself? It's killing you, son, and I won't stand by and let you destroy yourself!" 

"What if I want it that way?" Gibbs said angrily. "What if destroying myself is the only way? It's my fault she's gone! I should have protected her!"

"You were nine years old!" 

"She was my sister! I had to protect her, and I failed! There's nothing you can say or do that will change that, so stop trying!"  

Gibbs turned and stormed up the stairs, slamming the basement door behind him. Jackson followed him up. He got to the top just in time to see Gibbs going upstairs to his bedroom. He thought about following him, but decided against it. He made his way to the downstairs guest room and went to bed. He'd try to talk to his son again in the morning.

\-------

_ She struggled against two sets of hands, pulling her away from him.  _

__

_ "Lee! Help me!"  _

__

_ He struggled to push himself back through the tangled tree roots as his sister screamed.  _

__

_ "I'm coming!" he shrieked.  _

__

_ "Lee! Please!"  _

__

_ Her cries got softer and softer, the farther away the men took her. When he finally pulled himself back to the other side of the tree, she was gone. The only thing he found was her favorite doll, lying in the mud. He picked it up and clutched it tightly. _

__

_ "Viv! Where are you!" _

__

_ This time, she did not scream.  _

__

_ "Vivian! Where are you!"  _

\-------

"Vivian!" Gibbs shouted as he snapped up in bed. Sweat poured down his face, and his heart rate was out of control. He tried to get out of bed, but he couldn't summon the strength to push the covers off him. Seconds later, he felt pain shoot up his arm, followed by even more pain in his chest. He fell back onto the bed.

"H-help!" he shouted hoarsely. "Help me!" 

His bedroom door opened at that moment, and Ducky rushed into the room. It took Ducky less than ten seconds to figure out that Gibbs was having a heart attack. 

"You're going to be all right, Jethro. Breathe for me, in and out... good." Ducky reached for the phone on the nightstand and dialed 911. "This is Dr. Mallard, NCIS medical examiner. I need an ambulance to 5210 Pullman Avenue, I have a man having a heart attack." 

_ "We're sending someone right away, Dr. Mallard. Is the patient responsive?"  _

"Yes, for now. Hurry, please!" Ducky hung up and turned his eyes back to Gibbs, who was struggling to breathe. "Do you keep Bayer aspirin in the house?" 

Gibbs pointed shakily toward the door that lead to his master bathroom. Ducky quickly went into the bathroom and retrieved it from the medicine cabinet. He shook a pill into his hand and helped his friend sit up enough to take the pill. 

"The ambulance will be here soon, Jethro. Just relax." 

"What's happening?"

Ducky looked up to find Jackson standing in the doorway.

"He's having a heart attack. The ambulance is on its way." 

Jackson hurried to his son's side. He reached out and clasped Jethro's hand in his. 

"You're going to get through this, son. You can beat this." 

Gibbs looked into his Father's eyes, and he believed him. He shakily nodded and let his head sink into the pillow. As his eyes drifted closed, the paramedics flooded his bedroom.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony ran through the hospital full speed. The last thing he expected when his phone rang in the middle of the night was to be told that Gibbs suffered a heart attack. As he rounded the corner that lead into the cardiac waiting room, he nearly bumped head on into Tim.

"McGee! Did you get in to see him?" 

"Not yet. Ducky and Jackson are in with him and the Doctor." 

"How in the hell did he have a heart attack?" Tony wondered aloud. 

"I don't know, Tony. Would you sit down and stop pacing? You're making me nervous." 

"This is what I do when I'm nervous,  Probie . I have to keep moving, or I'll go stir crazy!" 

"If you don't sit down right now, I'm going to hit you." 

"Boys!" 

Tim and Tony both turned their heads to find Ducky standing in the middle of the waiting room, arms crossed. 

"Are we quite finished bickering?" 

They nodded silently. 

"How is he, Ducky?" Tim asked calmly.

"He's going to be all right. It was a mild heart attack." 

"How did it happen?" Tony asked. 

"I'm not sure, but I do know that what he's doing to himself over Vivian's disappearance was a factor." 

"He was nine years old when she disappeared. How could he possibly have something to do with it?" 

Tim's eyes went wide in realization. 

"Tony... the Donaldson case...we found Lillian Donaldson's body twenty years after she disappeared." 

"How could we be so stupid?" Tony said in frustration. "Gibbs was in full bastard mode after we closed that case. We could barely ask him a question without him losing it." 

"Neither of you thought it was necessary to let me know about that?" 

"We didn't think it was anything to worry about," Tim said. "He usually goes home and does whatever he does, and he's fine the next morning." 

"He is obviously  not  fine, Timothy," Ducky said angrily. 

"Even if we'd come to you, there's no way we could have stopped any of this," Tony pointed out. 

"You're right Tony," Ducky conceded. "I'm sorry for getting angry. It doesn't matter what any of us did or did not do. What matters right now is helping Jethro get over his sister's death, and helping him move on with his life again." 

Tim and Tony nodded in agreement.

"Can we go in and see him now?" Tim asked.

"He's asleep for now. You can pop in for a few moments, but don’t wake him." 

Tim nodded and headed toward Gibbs' hospital room. 

\------

Gibbs was asleep when Tim stepped into the room. Jackson was seated in a comfortable-looking chair next to his son's bed. 

"You didn't have to come down, Tim," Jackson said quietly.

"Of course I did... he's family."

Tim looked on at Gibbs. He slept soundly as the heart monitor attached to him beeped faithfully. 

"I think it's time to call Dr. Cranston." 

"Who's that?" Jackson asked.

"She's a psychologist," Tim said, sitting in a plastic chair next to Jackson. "She's been there when we've needed her the most, and helped us through some really tough times. If anyone can get through to him, it's Rachel."

Jackson nodded. 

"We took him to a psychologist after Vivian disappeared. It took six months for him to get past what happened that day. I just want him to be happy."

"I'll call Dr. Cranston and explain what's going on." 

"Okay." Jackson reached over and squeezed Tim's shoulder. "Thank you for being there for Leroy. You, and Tony, and Ducky, you all are the best friends he's ever had."

"He's never abandoned us when we needed help... we're not about to abandon him." 

Jackson nodded, and the room fell into a companionable silence.

TBC...   



	7. Chapter 7

Gibbs awoke the next morning to find an unexpected guest at his bedside. 

"Rachel..." 

"Good Morning, Agent Gibbs," Rachel said, smiling warmly.

"Why are you here?" 

"Tim called me in the middle of the night. He told me what's been going on."

Gibbs wanted to be angry with Tim for calling Rachel behind his back, but he knew Tim was trying to help him. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his unshaven face.

"I'm not really up to this right now." 

"Why are you in the hospital?" Rachel asked.

Gibbs rolled his eyes at the question.

"I had a heart attack." 

"Has your cardiologist found the cause?"

"Still waiting for the test results. Doc is coming back to do the Echo." 

"Did you know that stress increases your risk of having a heart attack?" 

"I'm a Federal agent, Rachel. I'm stressed every damn day." 

"Is NCIS the only thing that's causing your stress?"

"I know what you're trying to do," Gibbs snapped irritably. "I don't want to talk about my sister." 

"You'd rather keep it bottled up until it nearly kills you, then?"

Gibbs didn't have a retort for that. He looked away. 

"Jethro, look at me." 

Damn it, why does she have to sound so much like Kate? 

Gibbs brought his eyes back to Rachel.

"You don't have to hide from what happened to your sister, and it certainly was  not  your fault." 

"I let them take her. I should have protected her," he said shakily. 

"You were only a child."

"I could have tried! She was my sister! We looked out for each other!" 

"Kate was my sister. I couldn’t have stopped that terrorist from shooting her any more than you could have stopped whomever kidnapped your sister." 

Rachel reached out and gently took his hand in hers. 

"It's okay to let her go."

Gibbs bit his lip to keep himself from crying, but tears were already streaming down his cheeks. Leave it to Kate's sister to make him cry. He never cried, damn it, but he couldn't help himself at that moment. He leaned back into his pillow and let the tears fall.

Rachel sat with him, holding his hand, until he drifted back to sleep. As she gently slipped her hand from his, there was a soft knock at the door, and the Doctor stepped into the room.

"I see Agent Gibbs is still asleep," he said pleasantly.

"He's just gone back to sleep, actually. He's been through a lot, physically and emotionally." 

"I'm Dr.  Thiemke , his Cardiologist," he said, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Dr. Cranston, his friend and Psychologist." 

"I have his EKG and x-ray results. Would you mind if I woke him for a moment?"

Rachel nodded, and Dr.  Thiemke went to Gibbs' side.

"Agent Gibbs," he said softly, shaking Gibbs' shoulder a little. Gibbs opened his eyes and turned his head.

"Dr.  Thiemke ." 

"I have your results, and wanted to tell you right away. You have a blockage. We're going to have to put in a stent to keep the artery open."

"You mean an operation," Gibbs said nervously.

"It's a very simple operation, nothing to worry about at all. We're going to make an incision in your upper thigh, in the groin area, and we'll use a catheter to navigate through the artery, and insert the stent. It won't take long at all, and you won't even know it's there," Dr.  Thiemke said with a reassuring smile. 

"I've never had to have heart surgery before," Gibbs admitted, sounding more nervous than he thought he'd be. 

"You're in good hands, Agent Gibbs. Bethesda has some of the best cardiac surgeons in the country." 

Gibbs looked over at Rachel.

"Where's my father?"   


"He's asleep in the waiting room," she said, smiling. "I'll go get him." Rachel stepped out of the room.

"I have your surgery scheduled for 11 this morning. I'll leave you to rest, and someone will be back in a little while to prep you." 

"Okay, thanks, Doc." 

Dr.  Thiemke smiled and left Gibbs to rest. Jackson came in moments later.

"How do you feel, son?"   


"I have to have an operation, Dad. They want to put a stent inside me." 

Jackson saw the fear in his son's eyes. He hadn't seen his son show that kind of fear since he was a child. 

"You're going to be all right, son. After the surgery, and a little rest, you'll be good as new." 

"What's happening to me, Dad? Everything is just spiraling out of control... the dreams, and hearing Viv, and then the heart attack... Dad, it's becoming too much."

"You haven't told a soul about what happened the day your sister disappeared, and you've been holding that in for 55 years. Son, you have to tell someone what happened to her. Keeping it to yourself any longer is only going to hurt you worse than you're hurting now. Do you understand?"

"What happened that day isn't something I want to remember anymore, Dad." 

"Then let it out of you. If you keep putting stress on yourself over this, you're going to have another heart attack, and it might be worse than this one. I don’t want to bury you, Leroy. I can't lose another child. I won't." 

Gibbs remained silent, staring at his father. Jackson reached out and took his son's hand in his own.

"You don't have to tell me, but please, Leroy, I beg of you, tell  someone."

Gibbs looked at the heart monitor he was connected to, and then back at his father. He knew what he had to do.

"Okay Dad. I'll do it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jackson returned to waiting room after Gibbs was wheeled into surgery. Ducky and Dr. Cranston were waiting there, chatting over tea.

"How is he?" Ducky asked as Jackson sat down next to him.

" He's scared, but I think he's going to be all right." He brought his eyes to meet Dr. Cranston's. "He wants to talk about what happened to his sister, but not to me." 

Rachel nodded her understanding. 

"We can start our sessions when he's settled back at home. For now, He needs support from his family and friends to get through the surgery and recovery."

"We'll be with him every step of the way," Jackson said, nodding simultaneously.

Rachel looked at Ducky.

"Let me know when he's settled at home, and we can schedule his first session."

"I will," he said with a smile. "Thank you for coming, my Dear." 

"Anytime." 

Rachel left them, and Jackson let out a shaky breath. 

"He will be all right, Jackson. Your son is the strongest person I know." 

"I hope you're right, Dr. Mallard." 

TBC...


	8. Chapter 8

_Two weeks later... _

  
Ducky was waiting for Gibbs as the Dr.  Theimke filled out the discharge paperwork. He grumbled as he sat down in the wheelchair the Doctor made him use, and was quiet as he and Ducky rode down to the lobby. A nurse took the wheelchair at the hospital entrance, and Gibbs followed Ducky across the parking lot to the car. 

"How are you feeling, Jethro? You haven't said a word since I arrived," Ducky said as he turned on the car. 

"I’m fine, Duck."

"Right. Any more nightmares?"

Gibbs didn't respond, and Ducky had his answer.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I don't. I just want to go home."

"Very well." 

The drive to Gibbs' house was silent. Ducky knew his friend needed some time to think, and let him have it during the long drive. When they finally arrived, Gibbs got out of the car and headed toward the front door without a word. Ducky followed him. 

"I'm fine, Ducky," Gibbs said, searching for his house key. Tim had driven Gibbs' Father back to Stillwater while he was in the hospital, and Jackson had locked the door behind him, as he always had.  Ducky tapped him on the shoulder, and held up Gibbs' keys. He snatched them and unlocked the door. Ducky followed him inside.

"You may keep telling me you're fine, Jethro, but the fact is that you had a heart attack two weeks ago, and you've just had an operation only one week ago. Your cardiologist gave you instructions to stay home and recover, and avoid strenuous activities."

"I can sit at my desk, Duck... that isn't strenuous."

Ducky put his hands on his friend's shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"When I had my heart attack, you were the first person to tell me to go home. You were there for me when I needed someone to knock sense into me. This is my way of repaying you. Please, accept the medical leave and stay home, and rest."

Gibbs took in his friend's words. Ducky was absolutely right. The situation had been reversed, but the same thing was happening right now.

"Okay."

Ducky let go of his shoulders and smiled.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Gibbs said suddenly.

"Absolutely, Jethro."

"Would you stay here with me? Just for a little while."

"Of course I will," Ducky said with a smile.

"Thanks, Duck."

"You're most welcome." 

While Ducky retreated to make a few phone calls, Gibbs made up the couch for himself and lay down. He was tired and wanted to take a nap, but thoughts of Vivian kept him from falling asleep. He shook them and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. He had to at least  try  to sleep.

When Ducky came back out into the living room, he smiled when he found his friend asleep on the couch.  He smiled and sat down to read the newspaper while his friend slept.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
The smell of dinner cooking awakened Gibbs from his nap. He sat up on the couch and scrubbed a hand across his face. At least he hadn't had a nightmare that time. 

He reached for his cell and hit the speed dial for his Father's store.

_ "Jethro... how are you, son?"  _

"Came home from the hospital today."

_ "I'm glad... Ducky has been keeping me updated on your progress. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, son. I couldn't leave Frankie Grossman in charge of my store for too long."  _

"I understand, Dad." Gibbs suddenly heard a familiar voice in the background. "Is McGee there with you?"

_ "Yeah. He's been here for two days, looking into your sister's case." _

"Let me talk to him." 

Gibbs heard the phone exchanging hands. 

_ "Hey Boss! How are you feeling?" _

"Fine. Tell me what you've found so far." 

_"Well, I couldn't get back into the warehouse, but I went out into the woods beyond it, to see if I could find anything, but there was nothing there. I also tried talking to some of the townspeople, but no one really wants to talk to me."_  

"That sounds about right. Listen, I want you to try talking to Francine  Smythe . She lives near where Viv and I used to get on the bus. I remember seeing her outside that day."

_ "I tried every house on that block, Boss. No one wants to talk." _

"Take the Sheriff with you. They'll talk if he's there."

_"Okay, I'll go call him. Shouldn't you be resting?"_  

"Get on it, McGee."

_ "Yes, Boss." _

The phone changed hands again.

_ "Cut him some slack, Leroy. He's doing his best."  _

"Okay, Dad." 

Gibbs sensed movement and looked up. Ducky was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. 

"I have to go, Dad. I'll call you later." He hung up the phone and set it down.

"Dinner is ready." 

"Great, I'm starving." Gibbs got up and made his way into the kitchen. Ducky had the table set for two. A piece of grilled chicken was placed on each plate, and a bowl of steamed vegetables sat in between the two place settings. Ducky noticed his friend's gawking.

"There's nothing wrong with a healthy meal, Jethro."

"Can't I just make a steak?" he practically whined as he sat down at the table.

"You've just had surgery after a heart attack! A steak is  not  what you should be eating right now." 

Gibbs sighed and picked up his fork. 

"This is going to take some getting used to."

"I think you'll enjoy what I've prepared."

Gibbs did indeed enjoy the delicious dinner, and thanked Ducky after he'd eaten three helpings of vegetables.

"You've got to show me how you made those," Gibbs said as he helped Ducky clear the table.

"Before I leave, you will have a full arsenal of heart healthy recipes," Ducky said, smiling. They finished the dishes and chatted in the living room over coffee. 

After a while, Ducky started to yawn.

"I think it's time I turn in. Dr. Cranston will be coming tomorrow morning for her first visit."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, and said nothing in reply. He knew Ducky meant well, and he was frankly tired of fighting Viv's memory any longer.

"Feel free to use the downstairs guest room, Duck. Sheets are clean."

Ducky smiled as Gibbs tucked himself in on the couch and immediately dozed. He silently wished his friend a peaceful night's sleep and made his way to the guest room, hoping tomorrow went just as smoothly.

** TBC... **


	9. Chapter 9

 

 

 

Tim stayed in Stillwater for the remainder of the day. Jackson talked him into staying for dinner, and they drove back to the house in Jackson's truck. Jackson was pensive on the drive over to his house. Tim knew what was on his mind, and elected to not say anything about it just yet.

They pulled up to the house, and Jackson got out of the truck, holding his cane out in front of him to help him climb down. Tim hurried around to help him out, but Jackson shook him off.

"I can get out of my own damn truck." 

Tim backed off a few paces, and let him plant his feet firmly on the ground. Jackson walked by him and entered the house via the side door, that led up into the kitchen. Tim followed. By the time Tim had removed his coat and shoes in the small breezeway and stepped into the kitchen, Jackson was taking a package of hamburgers out of the freezer. 

"How about I throw a couple of hamburgers on the George Foreman?" he asked.

"Sure, that sounds great." 

As Jackson started to prepare dinner, Tim's phone rang. When he saw the local area code, he stepped into the living room to answer the call.

"McGee." 

_ "Agent McGee... it's Sheriff Waite. We need to talk. About Vivian Gibbs." _

"Sheriff--"

_ "Not over the phone. Can you meet me at my office in an hour?" _

"Okay. One hour." 

The Sheriff hung up abruptly, and Tim felt a pang in the pit of his stomach. What could possibly be going on after all these years? What happened all those years ago that had frightened the entire town into silence?

A crash from the kitchen sent Tim running. He found Jackson kneeling next to the cabinet, the George Foreman grill at his feet. Tim could see tears staining his cheeks.

"Jackson, are you all right?" Tim asked as he picked up the George Foreman and set it on the counter. He held out a hand to Jackson, who took it. 

"I'm fine."

"Jackson..." 

"I said I'm fine!" 

"Listen, why don’t you let me make you dinner?"

Jackson looked into the eyes of his young friend. They were full of concern, and sincerity. 

"All right. I'm going to go sit down in my chair for a bit." 

Tim smiled and handed him his cane, and Jackson left him to it.

Tim grilled up two hamburgers, and got out a bag of chips, in lieu of fries. He brought a plate in to Jackson, and they ate together in the living room. Tim brought the dishes into the kitchen, and washed them quickly. He wiped down the grill, and peeked into the  livign room to check on Jackson.

He was fast asleep in his chair.

Tim left a note on the kitchen table, and quietly left the house to go and meet the Sheriff. 

The drive to town was short, and he pulled up around the corner from the Sheriff's office. He quickly went around the corner and into the office.

No one was in the reception area when he went inside. He quietly slipped around and went down the hall toward Sheriff Waite's office. 

"Sheriff?" Tim said quietly as he approached the door. The knot in his stomach grew tighter as he approached the door to Waite's office, and saw that it was half open. Tim pulled his weapon, and held it out as he pushed the door all the way open.

Sheriff Waite was slumped over his desk, blood pooling from his head.

Tim whipped out his cell phone and called 911 immediately as he rushed to the Sheriff's side. He took a pulse as he talked to the dispatcher.

"This is NCIS Agent Timothy McGee... I need emergency personnel to the Stillwater Sheriff's Office immediately... the Sheriff has been murdered."

A noise brought Tim's gaze up, and before he could see who was coming, white hot pain radiated through his head, and everything went black.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gibbs tossed and turned on the couch, sweat pouring down his face.

_ "Leroy..."  _

__

_ He sat up on the couch and looked around his living room. He was sure he heard a voice that time.  _

__

_ "Lee..."  _

__

_ He turned his head, and nearly tumbled off the couch. Vivian was standing at his feet. She was wearing her favorite yellow dress, and looked exactly as she did the day she disappeared. _

__

_ "Vivian... no, no you're not real... you're a dream."  _

__

_ Vivian moved toward him and held out her hand. Gibbs slowly brought his hand out, and her fingertips grazed his open palm, and he flinched and pulled his hand away. _

__

_ "Don't be afraid, Lee."  _

__

_ "Why are you here? Why are you doing this?" _

__

_ "Stop looking for me, Lee."  _

__

_ "What? Why? I can't! I have to find you!"  _

__

_ "No!"  _

__

_ "But why?" _

__

_ "If you keep looking for me, your friends are going to get hurt, just like me. Please, Lee, let me go."  _

__

_ "I-I can't forget--" _

__

_ Vivian reached out and put her little hand on his face. He closed his eyes. After all the years without her, Vivian's touch felt the same as it did when they were children.  _

__

_ "I never said forget, silly goose... I said to stop looking."  _

__

_ "I have to know what happened to you... I can't let it go."  _

__

_ "Your friends are going to die, Lee... you  have  to stop... please... for me."  _

__

_ "I--I don't know, Viv."  _

__

_ Vivian sighed, annoyed. A small smile formed in the corner of Gibbs' mouth. He remembered that sigh... she'd do that when she found him in her bedroom, spying.  _

__

_ "You're an annoying little brother."  _

__

_ "Sure am," he said, grinning at her. _

__

_ "At least find my dolly," she said, sticking out her upper lip. _

__

_ "Your doll? That raggedy thing?"  _

__

_ "Raggedy Ann! You never say it right!" She stomped her foot. _

__

_ "Where is your doll, Viv?" _

__

_ "When--when they put me in the log house... the man... Mr.  Orsen ... he took it. I want my dolly!"  _

__

_ "Okay, I'll find your dolly, Viv. I promise."  _

__

_ "Good. Now go to sleep before the boogeyman comes to get you!"  _

__

_ Gibbs smiled, lay down and closed his eyes. _

Gibbs shot up on the couch, sweating profusely, and threw the blankets off of him. He had to get to Stillwater, and fast.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tim blinked himself awake, and found himself bombarded by daylight. It made the already killer headache a thousand times worse. He slowly sat up and took in his surroundings. He was in a log cabin, he thought. He tried to stand up, but his body wasn't quite ready for it, and he fell back to the floor. 

"What the hell happened?"

And he remembered.

"Oh God... the Sheriff..." Tim tried again to stand, and pushed his body until he was on his feet. He had to somehow get back to town and call NCIS. Whomever brought him to this place obviously didn't want him to find out what the Sheriff knew. 

Tim made his way to the only door in the room, and tried it. To his dismay, it was locked. 

He was trapped.

TBC...   



	10. Chapter 10

Tim looked around the small room, trying to figure out where he was, and how he was going to get out. The room was very small, and contained nothing but a cot and a cheap-looking bureau. A horrifying thought occurred to Tim. 

_What if I'm not the first person to be held prisoner here?_

He made his way first to the bureau, and found it unlocked. He pulled the doors open, and found it mostly empty, save for a box sitting at the bottom. Tim dropped to his knees and looked at the items in the box. His eyes widened when he moved a few papers aside, and found a worn Raggedy Ann doll at the bottom of the box. 

_This is where they took Vivian._

He went through the rest of the box, and took out more children's toys, broken crayons, and drawings. He looked through the drawings and smiled when he came across a family picture. There was a stick figure drawing of a mother and father, and to the side, a sister and brother holding hands. A sad smile formed on his face as he looked at the rest. The little girl must have been kept here for a very long time. 

Tim put everything back in the box and put it back in the bureau. Once he figured out how he was going to escape his prison, he'd take the box with him. 

The wind whipped against the side of the cabin, and Tim could feel the cold seeping through the walls. The weather had called for a low near freezing that night. He doubted the cabin was being heated, just for him. He had to find a way out of here before dark, or he'd freeze to death. 

_I wonder if that's what happened to Vivian._

Tim got to his feet and went over to the only window in the room. He examined it, and determined that it was impossible to pry the old window open without help from some kind of tool. He examined the glass, and thought maybe he could break it. It was the only plan of escape he had. 

Tim removed his coat and wrapped it around his arm. Steadying himself on his feet, he swung his fist as hard as he could, and hit the window. It cracked, but didn't break. He hit it a few more times, and with the fourth hit, the glass shattered. he pushed out the glass around the window frame, and laid his coat down. He went back to the bureau and retrieved the box. Once secure, he climbed out of the window, clutching the box tightly, grabbed his coat, and went off into the woods. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Gibbs and Ducky arrived in Stillwater as the sun came up. The first thing they noticed as they drove through town was the mess of cars at the police station. Gibbs pulled up and got out of the car. A deputy tried to stop him, until Gibbs shoved his creds in the young man's face. Quivering, the young man let him by, and Gibbs walked up to the local ME. 

"Leroy," the man said, smiling. What brings you back home, son?" 

"Personal business, Maury. What happened?" 

"It's John Waite - he was murdered in his office last night." 

"What? How?" 

"Blunt force trauma to the head is what it looks like." The ME furrowed his brow. "You know something about this, don't you Leroy." 

"Not directly, but I think-- I think I'm the reason he got himself killed." 

"Maybe you should talk to Ned Orsen." 

"Who's that?" 

"Acting Sheriff, now that John is gone." 

"Wait, Orsen?" 

"Yeah." 

"Thanks, Maury. I'll talk to him later." 

Gibbs turned to rejoin Ducky, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Maury right behind him, only this time he was holding an evidence bag with a small object in it. 

"They found this in John's office." 

Gibbs recognized McGee's badge through the plastic bag. 

"Crap." 

"I thought you'd recognize it. You'd better find the Agent whom it belongs to." 

"I'll find him. Thanks for showing me that, Maury." 

"Anytime, Leroy." 

Gibbs rushed back to his truck and got in. 

"Well?" Ducky asked. 

"The Sheriff was murdered, and McGee was the last person to see him alive." 

"Where is he?" 

"He's gone. We have to find him." 

"What exactly is going on here, Jethro? And why again did we have to drive out here in the middle of the night?" 

"Someone knows we're looking into it, and they don't want us to find out the truth. We need to find McGee before he turns into a victim, Ducky." 

Ducky looked into his friend's eyes. They were both terrified and determined. 

"All right, Jethro. I'm with you." 

"Thanks, Duck. Let's start with my Father. He was probably the last person to see Tim." 

"Good plan." 

Gibbs drove to Jackson's house in record time, and pulled in behind his father's truck. Jackson came outside to meet his son. 

"Leroy, I was going to call you... I haven't seen Tim since last night, and I'm worried." 

"He's missing, Dad. I'm going to find him. When was the last time you saw him?" 

"Last night. He helped me make supper, and then I fell asleep in my chair. When I woke up, he was gone, and he left me this note." Jackson handed his son a piece of paper with a note scribbled on it. 

_Gone into town, back soon. Don't worry about me.  
\--Tim_

He never came back to the house?" Gibbs asked. 

"No. What's going on?" 

"Dad, John Waite was killed in his office last night. Tim's badge was found on the floor in his office. I think someone took him." 

"How do we know he hasn't been killed?" Jackson asked. 

"We don't." Gibbs turned to Ducky. "I want you and Jackson to stay here. I'm going to go look for Tim. I have an idea where to look for him." 

"You can't go out there alone!" Jackson said. "What if whoever this is tries to kill you too?" 

Gibbs reached into his truck and came out with a rifle. 

"They won't." 

"Call us when you find him. Do you understand me?" 

"I'll call you, Dad. I promise. Now please, both of you get in the house and lock all the doors and windows." 

"Be careful, Jethro. I don't want to see you on my table next." 

"I'll be fine, Duck." 

Ducky turned and helped Jackson into the house, while Gibbs climbed back into the truck. He backed out of the driveway and headed to the spot where he and Vivian used to catch the school bus. 

 

**TBC...**


End file.
